Hi there and welcome to TLFG, thanks for reading.
I haven't been to any games this week but I have been arranging to see some in the near future.
On Tuesday, tickets for the forthcoming friendly between England and Germany went on sale.
As far as international rivalries are concerned, this is one of the biggest and in most years it would sell out pretty quickly.
I think it's quite telling that I managed to easily acquire a pair of tickets several hours after they went on general sale in the area of the ground I wanted.
Tickets are still available now almost a week later. It seems that England, as many people probably already knew, aren't quite the draw they used to be.
I know it's only a friendly but it is Germany and a pretty good Germany too. As far as I'm aware, the crucial recent World Cup qualifier against Poland had tickets available until pretty late in the day as well so it seems to be a problem whatever the occasion.
If you're tempted, details on how you can get tickets can be found further down the page.
At the end of the week I also landed some tickets to see QPR's games against Bournemouth and Blackburn in early December. The club had decided to sell a block of tickets behind one of the goals to members and their friends for just £10 each.
This means I'll end up having seen three games in a row for £10 which is the same price I'd pay to go and watch teams in the Isthmian League Premier Division some five divisions below. So who's usually charging too much???
GET INVOLVED
As always, please remember to let me know what you've been up to and if you're interested in reviewing a ground within the London area for this blog then get in touch. You might also want to have a go at writing a 'Top Ten' one week. I also very much welcome photos of your football travels.
You can contact TLFG through the comments section below or via Facebook, Twitter or even by good old email.
LATEST TICKET NEWS
Each week at TLFG we attempt to compile a list of what's on general sale to non-members at London's Premier League clubs and for other notable matches (click on the team name for details).
Friday 15 November, 8pm - Chile, international friendly, Wembley
Tuesday 19 November, 8pm - Germany, international friendly, Wembley
Monday 18 November, 745pm - International friendly, Craven Cottage
Nothing currently available
Nothing currently available
Tickets are only available to season-ticket holders, members and their guests
Saturday 23 November, 3pm - Swansea City, Premier League
Wednesday 4 December, 8pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
Sunday 8 December, 130pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 21 December, 3pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Wednesday 4 December, 8pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
Sunday 8 December, 130pm - Aston Villa, Premier League
Saturday 21 December, 3pm - Manchester City, Premier League
Thursday 7 November, 805pm - Sheriff Tiraspol, Europa League
Saturday 23 November, 530pm - Chelsea, Premier League
Saturday 30 November, 3pm - Fulham, Premier League (on sale 29 October)
Thursday 26 December, 3pm - Arsenal, Premier League
Saturday 22 March, 3pm - Manchester United, Premier League
Saturday 5 April, 3pm - Liverpool, Premier League
Saturday 3 May, 3pm - Tottenham Hotspur, Premier League
TICKET DEALS
This week Tottenham Hotspur are pricing all adult tickets at £20 for the visit of FC Sheriff in the Europa League. Family tickets are also available.
It's also FA Cup first round weekend and Brentford have cut their prices for the visit of local non-league side Staines Town - all adult tickets are being sold at a flat rate of £12.
Leyton Orient are also cutting prices for the visit of non-league opposition in the form of Southport - most of their adult tickets are £15.
In mid-November there's a mini feast of international football to be enjoyed in London. Chile and Germany are both coming to play England in friendlies at Wembley while sandwiched in between there's a very interesting looking game between Euro 2012 finalists Italy and reigning African champions Nigeria at Fulham's Craven Cottage. Tickets for the latter start at just £20 which seems like good value to me.
It's also FA Cup first round weekend and Brentford have cut their prices for the visit of local non-league side Staines Town - all adult tickets are being sold at a flat rate of £12.
Leyton Orient are also cutting prices for the visit of non-league opposition in the form of Southport - most of their adult tickets are £15.
In mid-November there's a mini feast of international football to be enjoyed in London. Chile and Germany are both coming to play England in friendlies at Wembley while sandwiched in between there's a very interesting looking game between Euro 2012 finalists Italy and reigning African champions Nigeria at Fulham's Craven Cottage. Tickets for the latter start at just £20 which seems like good value to me.
If you know of any other deals I may have missed or your club is running a promotion let me know.
There are over 70 matches in the London area this week so there's plenty to choose from whatever your budget.
With bad weather becoming more frequent, make sure you check with clubs before you travel just in case a game has been called off or venue has been changed. Also, please let me know if anything is wrong or missing.
Details on all of this week's games can be found in the following match map. If you've never used it before, please note that when there is more than one match at a specific ground you'll only be able to see individual match pins if you zoom right in. If you don't, the pins obscure each other and you might miss them. To avoid this, you can also scroll down the list of games on the left side of the map page to make sure you get all the information.
Also if you're unfamiliar with the English league structure I indicate the level at which an individual league sits in the national 'pyramid' with the Premier League at the top (Level 1) and various minor leagues at the bottom (Level 10). Typically a top level game will see crowds of anywhere between 20,000-60,000. These figures will gradually decline as you go down the leagues until you get to Levels 8-10 where attendances of 150 or less are most common.
It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).
It should also be noted that the top four levels are for fully professional teams. Level 5 has a mixture of professional and semi-professional teams, while Levels 6-10 will see most players paid but it will vary from no more than travel expenses at the bottom, right up to several hundred pounds a week at the top (e.g. clubs in the Conference South).
MATCH MAP
Yellow pin - Monday fixtures
Green pin - Tuesday fixtures
Turquoise pin - Wednesday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Purple pin - Thursday fixtures
Magenta pin - Friday fixtures
Blue pin - Saturday fixtures
Red pin - Sunday fixtures
View London match map 4-10 November 2013 in a larger map
Next up is this week's TLFG match recommendations where I list a few games which I think could be worth a watch. As I've run short on time, my reasons are much more brief than normal - apologies. Add your own in the comments section below.
TLFG TOP 10
1. Chelsea v Schalke 04 - it's England versus Germany in the Champions League on Wednesday. Despite their upset at Newcastle on Saturday, the Blues should still start as favourites not least because they beat Jens Keller's side 3-0 in Gelsenkirchen a couple of weeks ago. (Champions League, Wednesday 6 November, 745pm. Ticket info)
2. Tottenham Hotspur v Newcastle United - Spurs have had a fine start to their Premier League campaign with only goal difference keeping them behind Chelsea and Liverpool in fourth. Usually you'd expect them to beat a midtable side like the Magpies but their aforementioned win over Jose Mourinho's team will fill them with hope. (Premier League, Sunday 10 November, 12pm. Ticket info)
3. Charlton Athletic v Leeds United - the Addicks have had a fairly underwhelming season so far and are duly only three points above the relegation zone. Although they aren't winning many games, they are proving quite tough to beat at the moment, having not lost in five. Leeds are doing somewhat better but are also highly inconsistent so this could go either way. (Championship, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Ticket info)
4. Brentford v Staines Town - as mentioned above it's FA Cup first round weekend. This is probably my favourite of the London ties as it sees two sides from the west side of town lock horns. It would've been better if the Swans, as the non-league team, were hosting but I'm sure they'll still give it a good go. Brentford have recently hit form with four straight wins to return to League One's top five meaning they should still have too much for Staines. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Ticket info)
5. Leyton Orient v Southport - in relative terms this is a bit of a Goliath versus David contest. The O's are the best team in the first round draw being, as they are, top of League One. Having won 3-1 at nearest rivals Peterborough on Saturday, you can't really see past them winning again with lower-midtable Conference Premier outfit Southport having won only one of their last six league games. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Ticket info)
6. AFC Wimbledon v Coventry City - the most notable thing about this match is that it features two former winners (1988 and 1987) who have fallen on hard times. Coventry's finances have seen them slide down to League One in recent years while the Dons' story is more complicated but they are in League Two now. City's form is far superior at the moment so they should start as firm favourites. (FA Cup, Friday 8 November, 745pm. Ticket info)
7. Welling United v Luton Town - there's an all-Conference clash at Park View Road where the Wings host former top-flight team Luton in the FA Cup. The Hatters are the biggest club in the Conference by a long way but they keep failing to make it back up to the Football League. They've started well again this year and are third at the time of writing. Welling have just come up and are only three points behind Luton so this could be a bit of a cracker in front of a big crowd. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Boreham Wood v Carlisle United - the last tie taking place in London this week is an intriguing one. Three divisions separate the teams and both are struggling. However, Boreham Wood hammered Chelmsford City 6-0 away on Saturday which will raise their spirits considerably. The Wood often attract quite a partisan crowd for big matches like this which could make things uncomfortable for the visitors but a cupset looks unlikely. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 2pm. Ticket info)
9. Hanwell Town v Ampthill Town - on Tuesday the top two in the Spartan South Midlands League go head-to-head in the league's Premier Division Cup. Ampthill are currently six points clear at the top but Hanwell have three games in hand so there's not much between them. (Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup, Tuesday 5 November, 745pm. Club info)
10. Sun Postal Sports v Kings Langley - two of the best sides in the division below them meet in the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy on Saturday. Sun Postal have had an amazing few months which has seen them climb to the top of the division. However, Kings Langley are only a point behind and have a game in hand. To top it all, it's a local derby too. (Herts Senior Centenary Trophy, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Club info)
6. AFC Wimbledon v Coventry City - the most notable thing about this match is that it features two former winners (1988 and 1987) who have fallen on hard times. Coventry's finances have seen them slide down to League One in recent years while the Dons' story is more complicated but they are in League Two now. City's form is far superior at the moment so they should start as firm favourites. (FA Cup, Friday 8 November, 745pm. Ticket info)
7. Welling United v Luton Town - there's an all-Conference clash at Park View Road where the Wings host former top-flight team Luton in the FA Cup. The Hatters are the biggest club in the Conference by a long way but they keep failing to make it back up to the Football League. They've started well again this year and are third at the time of writing. Welling have just come up and are only three points behind Luton so this could be a bit of a cracker in front of a big crowd. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Ticket info)
8. Boreham Wood v Carlisle United - the last tie taking place in London this week is an intriguing one. Three divisions separate the teams and both are struggling. However, Boreham Wood hammered Chelmsford City 6-0 away on Saturday which will raise their spirits considerably. The Wood often attract quite a partisan crowd for big matches like this which could make things uncomfortable for the visitors but a cupset looks unlikely. (FA Cup, Saturday 9 November, 2pm. Ticket info)
9. Hanwell Town v Ampthill Town - on Tuesday the top two in the Spartan South Midlands League go head-to-head in the league's Premier Division Cup. Ampthill are currently six points clear at the top but Hanwell have three games in hand so there's not much between them. (Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division Cup, Tuesday 5 November, 745pm. Club info)
10. Sun Postal Sports v Kings Langley - two of the best sides in the division below them meet in the Herts Senior Centenary Trophy on Saturday. Sun Postal have had an amazing few months which has seen them climb to the top of the division. However, Kings Langley are only a point behind and have a game in hand. To top it all, it's a local derby too. (Herts Senior Centenary Trophy, Saturday 9 November, 3pm. Club info)
No comments:
Post a Comment